


Misery Business

by KrystalM



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Arthur, BAMF Merlin, Case Fic, Dark Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Detective Merlin, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Exes, Getting Back Together, M/M, Mafia Arthur, Mystery, Post-Break Up, Protective Arthur, Romance, Scotland Yard, Slow Burn, mob boss arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-06-06 19:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15201368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystalM/pseuds/KrystalM
Summary: Merlin Emrys, a Detective Sergeant in Scotland Yard has close connections, albeit a strictly professional one, with the notorious and famous underground gang, the Pendragons. The leader of this gang is none other than Arthur, his ex-lover when they were teenagers; a relationship that fell apart because of lies and deceits. When Merlin lands on a case investigating the connections between a string of murders, his life quickly becomes in danger as he uncovers the depth of the murders causing the boundaries of a strictly professional relationship with Arthur to be tested and possibly reopen the old wounds between them as they're forced to face problems together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!
> 
> A/N: I. Am. Back. With another Methur! I promised a mob boss!Arthur though it's slightly more different than what I had originally planned. I thought this would be an interesting plot idea to explore so, here you guys go! I'm also writing the next instalment for Prince!Merlin and King!Arthur thing I have got going. It'll be up soon! I'll also be updating the other on-going Merthur fan fic which is the whole quirky gay!Merlin with cool straight!Arthur. Also possibly add a sequel to the swimmer!Arthur and coach!Merlin story too. I'll leave the links here so those who are interested in reading these stories I mentioned can get to them easily. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys like this though. Sorry for the dumb summary, for some reason, I can't make them ever sound appealing haha. I hope to see you guys in the next chapter and do let me know if you want me to continue this! Let me know what you also thought and yeah! See you guys soon! -Krystal
> 
> [He Who Is King [Story 1 of 2; Completed; Prince!Merlin x King!Arthur]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9946079)
> 
> [The Behaviour of an Idiot in Love [On-going; Quriky!Gay!Merlin x Cool!Straight!Arthur]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12578612)
> 
> [Throw Me in the Water [Complete; Swim Coach!Merlin x Swimmer!Arthur]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849699)

The sounds of shoes hitting the wet pavements echoed in the almost empty alleyway. With a heaving breath and heart racing against his chest, he pushed the limits of his body, ignoring the strong burn in his muscles with each step he took. His partner was running next to him, maybe a step or two ahead as their eyes stared forward to the rapidly disappearing back of a man. 

“Stop!” his partner yelled, his voice carried loudly through the quiet atmosphere. 

But the man kept running, his old-worn out jacket flapping behind him before he skidded and took a sharp right, disappearing around a corner. Cursing under his breath, his partner sped up, tossing a signal at Merlin before he continued chasing after the criminal. 

“Todd!” Merlin yelled after him, his legs were threatening to stop working if he kept on running. 

“I’ll catch him!” Todd tossed out before he disappeared around the corner as well, leaving the brunet to stumble on his feet and stop. 

Merlin pressed a hand near the walls of a building, his knees wobbling a bit as he tried to keep himself up, his chest heaving up and down, trying to get in as much air as he could. He crouched, looking at the empty street and noticing that there weren’t any people here through this alleyway. He placed a shaky hand on his chest, thumping it once as he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily as he tried to have his heart pacing normally again. 

His eyes snapped open when his phone rang, loud in this silence. Merlin scrambled to stand as he shoved his hand in his right jeans pocket, fishing out his mobile. He answered it immediately once he recognised it was Todd calling, grinning when his partner’s voice filtered through, breathy. 

“Caught him! Call for the rest,” Todd said, his tone cheery. 

“Thank God,” Merlin huffed into the phone. “See you in a bit.”

“We’re five minutes away from where I left you, mate,” Todd spoke before the line went dead. 

Merlin saved that information and called for the rest of the police before he shoved his phone back into his jean pockets and lightly jogged to where Todd was. His eyes landed on the taller man who had pinned the criminal against the brick wall, cuffs at his wrists and talking to him. The brunet clapped his hands once, catching Todd’s attention and as well as the criminal’s. 

“You’re hard to catch,” Merlin said, looking at the man. “Stealing diamonds from jewellery shops and tried to rob a convenience store. Why do you lot always run?”

Before the man could answer, the sounds of sirens filed the air, silencing the trio as their eyes were glued at the corner of the street, waiting for the flashing red and blue lights on the cars to appear. Merlin grinned when he spotted one, heading their way. He waved to catch their attention, glancing over his shoulders at Todd who was grinning back at him. It was another few more minutes before the police officers arrived to the scene to assist with the arrest. Merlin relied a simple version of their chasing to the police before they hauled the man into the car. Todd slammed the door of the car shut, making sure the criminal was secured inside before he took a step back, nodding at the rest of the men in uniform. 

“Good job, detectives,” one of the policemen said, a smile on his face.

“That bugger was fast,” Todd said, whistling. 

Merlin cracked a smile before he nodded. “No problem, James.”

James, the policeman, nodded, grinning. “I think you guys can catch a break now.”

“We definitely need to,” Merlin said, agreeing as he felt fatigue worming in his body. 

“Get some rest,” James said as he headed for his car. “See you guys tomorrow at the office.”

Todd waved at James, watching him get into the vehicle before they drove off. 

“Well, that’s it,” Todd said from next to him, moving his gaze to meet Merlin’s eyes. “Should we celebrate it tonight?”

Merlin opened his mouth, ready to reply when his phone beeped. Frowning, he tossed a look at Todd before he once again fetched his phone from his jeans. He froze, his eyebrows furrowing when his eyes landed on atext message from an unknown number that listed the name of a place with its room number. His grip on the device tightened as his mind blanked for a few seconds. A shiver ran down his spine as a flash of blue eyes appeared in his mind before he pushed that thought away. His heart tightened in his chest before he shoved his phone into his pocket, looking at his partner who was watching him with a cautious look on his face. 

“Let’s go celebrating tonight,” Merlin said, giving him an uneasy smile. 

Todd frowned, taking a step closer to him before placing a hesitant hand on his shoulder, squeezing it tight. “You okay?” 

“Yeah,” Merlin said, taking in a deep breath as he shook off his friend’s hand from him. “I just really need a pint tonight.”

Todd hummed under his breath, running his fingers through his shaggy dark hair. “Let’s go then. There’s a pub here I saw while chasing after the guy.”

“Of course you did,” Merlin replied, his icy blue eyes shimmered in mirth. 

He knew Todd could never resist a pub if he ever lied his eyes on one. Merlin was used to his quirks since they became partners since two years ago. The brunet didn’t think he would get along with Todd at first but it only took the black-haired man to drag him for a beer before they became friends. He didn’t think he would ever be content with having another person as his partner besides this tall guy. 

“You sure you alright, though?” Todd asked as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, his left eyebrow raising.

Merlin held back a wince at the look, knowing that his friend was trying to deduce him. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, he nodded, tossing a wider smile hoping that none of the weakness showed on it. He knew he failed when Todd’s hazel eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth for a second before he closed it, a sigh escaped his lips.

“Hey, just asking,” he said, meeting the icy blue eyes. “If you need me, I’m here.”

“Thanks, Todd,” Merlin said, sincerely. “It’s nothing though, really.”

“If you say so,” Todd replied, his voice low.

“Yeah.” 

Merlin didn’t make an effort to let him know that something was wrong, instead decided that it would be best if he forgot about the message and everything else associated with that by getting sloshed enough so his head could buzz. He felt a bit guilty not trusting Todd enough to tell him about this one piece of secret he kept guard like a treasure. But he knew that if his partner found out about this, it would just spell trouble and the last thing he needed was to cause a massive rift between their friendship. 

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he followed Todd out of the alleyway and back into the busy world. He wasn’t extremely keen on joining back into the noise. The adrenaline he felt a moment ago was still running through his veins. The brunet was a little disappointed at the fact he couldn’t have pushed himself a bit more into catching the criminal now that the rush was over. Todd slapped his shoulder, causing him to look at him. 

“Cheer up,” Todd said, his smile stretching on his lips in a way that showed that he knew what Merlin was thinking about. 

The shorter male rolled his eyes as he sighed for the second time. “I could have caught him with you.”

“There’ll be another chance,” Todd spoke, pulling his hand away with a shrug. “Maybe we’ll get a more useful case than these smaller ones.”

Merlin snorted, tossing a look at Todd who only shrugged again. “If only.”

“If only,” Todd agreed. “We’re not that useless, are we?”

“No,” Merlin hummed, slightly amused at the frown etching on Todd’s face. “We’re not. Maybe we’ll get a big case soon.”

“Crossing fingers they’ll let us take one,” Todd grumbled. “We’ve done enough of these measly cases for once.”

Merlin nodded, letting his partner grumble as they walked through the crowd, glancing at the sky to note that it was starting to shed in orange from its blue. The temperature was starting to drop too as he hugged his jacket closer to his body, hoping to keep himself warmer. He was starting to look forward to this drink with Todd just so he could have a cosier environment to soothe his aching muscles. 

A warm shower actually sounded good in his head and for a moment, he almost told Todd that he was backing out from his offer to go do just that. But one look at the pub his friend brought him to and he decided to stay. It was a small shop near the end of the street where not many people walked past by. A square building painted in warm colours and an inviting sign that spelt out: OLD NIGHTS. 

He chuckled at the name, walking inside as Todd pushed the door open. Immediately he realised that the atmosphere in this place was relaxing, chill. There was soft jazz music playing and a television playing recent matches and news at one corner. There was a bar a few feet from the entrance before it opened to a space filled with tables, chairs and booths. The light was dim as well, not bright enough to actually make out the proper details of the place without squinting or going closer to the items but it wasn’t too dark for him to not know his way around. 

Todd chose a booth instead of sitting at the bar, causing Merlin to raise his eyebrows. 

“Decided on an intimate night,” Todd said, wiggling his own eyebrows, startling a laughter from the brunet. 

“Sure,” Merlin said, sliding to one side of the booth while Todd slid to his seat opposite of him. “Let’s get ordering.”

 

***

 

It was a bit later when they finished their drinks and chatting before Merlin decided that it was time he got home. He still wanted that shower, his muscles aching with each step he took. He had half a mind to take a taxi home when he realised that he could probably use the walk. He was still somewhere in central London, he doubted he would get lost. He fished out his phone, unlocking the home screen to pull up a map of the area just in case when his eyes lingered on his messaging app, realising that there was still a message in there that he had yet to respond to. 

He huffed a breath, pushing any thoughts of replying to the message away. He wasn’t going to and that was that. He knew that wouldn’t deter the person who sent the message from finding him but Merlin honestly didn’t want to deal with the prat tonight. Not when all he wanted after a week straight of hard work catching the criminal was some decent sleep. A bloke needed that and he would be damned if that bastard was going to take that way from him. 

With that thought in mind, Merlin walked to the familiar flat buildings, stopping in front of a familiar one where his would be. He walked inside, closing the front door behind him, his shoulders tensing when he realised how quiet it was in here. He walked further into the home, taking a look at the door to his left, wondering where his landlord was. 

“Mr Turner?” he called out, hovering near the stairs as he waited for the elderly man to greet him. 

When he didn’t though, that made him worry. He never not greeted Merlin before, having treated the brunet like his own grandson ever since he had rented this place a few years back. He hovered, wondering if he should knock on the man’s door when he heard a creak upstairs. 

Immediately, everything seemed to click in place and he groaned under his breath. 

“Mr Turner!” Merlin bellowed as he walked up the stairs to the second floor, heading straight into the living room where he was sure his landlord was. 

Sure enough, the man was there, chatting away with the one person who he hadn’t wanted to meet. He dragged his tired blue eyes to the couch where the man with familiar blond hair and blue eyes met his gaze with a smirk on his face. Mr Turner had beamed when he saw Merlin at the entrance of the living room. 

“Oh, hello,” Mr Turner said as he waved at the brunet to walk in. “Come along, your dear friend is here.”

“Mr Turner,” Merlin said, eyeing the elderly man with an exasperated look. “How many times do I have to tell you to not let this— _stalker_ —into this place?”

“Oh dear boy,” Mr Turner tutted as he placed a hand on the brunet’s arm and squeezed, his eyes twinkling. “I’m sure you two boys will work it out. Don’t keep him waiting, he’s been here for a while now.”

“Mr Turner!” Merlin said as the man walked away, the door behind him closing, leaving Merlin and this prat in the living room alone. 

The silence that settled over them was a bit uncomfortable. Merlin shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he glanced at the blond-haired man, who was reclining on the couch with his legs crossed on one another and his arms spread out wide on the back of the couch. His face was a careful mask of blankness, his lips twitching upwards into a brief smirk before they were wiped away from his face. 

“Where were you?” he asked, his voice low. 

“You know where so why ask?” Merlin spat, turning around as he stormed into the kitchen, already feeling a bit more sober than just now. 

Cursing under his breath, he opened the cabinet to search for his mug. He grabbed the handle once he found it, slamming it on the counter, feeling a bit better when he heard a sharp clang echoing in the room. He closed the cabinet door, wondering briefly if he should make tea. 

“I sent you a text message,” his voice floated into the air, startling Merlin a bit. 

He glanced over his shoulders to see that the man with a darker shade of blue eyes was leaning against the entryway of the kitchen, his arms crossed against his chest. He looked relaxed even though he was wearing clothes that probably costed more than everything in this room combined together. Snorting under his breath, he decided to make tea after all, getting his kettle. 

“Yeah and I ignored it,” Merlin replied, making sure to add the sarcasm in his tone. 

“You shouldn’t ignore me, Merlin,” the man said, his voice now barely above a whisper but it was tainted with dark promises that sent the brunet’s blood running cold. 

But he didn’t and wouldn’t show fear in front of him so Merlin kept his back facing the blond, tightening his grip on his kettle as he headed to the sink and filled it up with water. 

“ _Merlin_ ,” the man said. 

“Fuck off, Arthur,” Merlin said. He then carried his kettle to the counter, his shoulders tensing when he heard footsteps coming closer to where he was. 

He turned around after placing his kettle on the surface, pressing the back of his palms against the edges of the marbled plane, his eyes trained on Arthur as he stood a step away from breaching his personal space. 

“Didn’t you hear me?” Merlin barked. “ _Fuck off_.”

Arthur shoved his hands in his trousers’ pockets, tilting his head to the side a bit as his blank eyes stared into his paler blue ones. Frustration started bubbling in his chest as he dropped his gaze to the floor, rubbing his face with his hands as he shook his head. 

“Leave,” Merlin whispered. “You’ve done your job. Thanks for the tip. _Go_.”

“Yeah,” Arthur said, a humourless laughter slipped past his lips. 

Merlin dropped his hands to his sides, his breath hitching in his throat when Arthur took a long step forwards and slammed his palms on either side of Merlin’s body, catching him off guard. Their faces were inches apart as Arthur narrowed his blue orbs, a wave of anger swimming in them anchored down with something dark and primal. 

“Don’t fucking _order me around_ ,” Arthur said, his words were sharp. “You’re the one who wanted my help. _I_ didn’t agree to this, _you_ fucking did.”

“And boy, did I regret that,” Merlin snapped. 

He knew that Arthur could do damage if he pushed him too far. With how much his mouth ran when he was pissed off or drunk out of his mind, it often became the reason why he was at times in danger of getting a fist driven into his face. And it seemed like this wasn’t any different. He yelped when Arthur grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him close, his grip tightened the cloth until Merlin realised it was starting to become constricting around his throat. 

“You listen here,” Arthur growled out, his eyes flashed in annoyance. “We can always end this and I’ll be on my way. I don’t need you to string me along like a puppet. I don’t have time to play with your games. I will _kill you_ if you ever ignore me like this, do you understand?”

Merlin wisely kept his mouth shut, squeezing his eyes shut when there was a bolt of fear shooting down his body when Arthur shook him. 

“Do you understand me?” Arthur hissed. “ _Answer me_.”

“I understand so could you please let go of me now?” Merlin said, opening his eyes only when Arthur pushed him away and took a few steps back. 

“Don’t act all high and mighty just because you think you have a Pendragon at your beck and call,” Arthur continued, his tone hard. “I don’t care about you enough to not put a bullet through your head if you fucking mess with me like this again.”

“It’s not like you cared much about me from the start anyway,” Merlin mumbled. 

“Excuse me?” the blond-haired man spoke. 

Merlin thinned his lips, darting his eyes at Arthur, feeling anger bubbling inside of him at being treated like this. He felt like his worth had been diminished in his eyes, like he had been reduced into nothing but just this person who Arthur would entertain when he was bored. Those were the same eyes that once made him feel like he was worth something, was someone important to him before everything was ripped apart by the lies and deceit that fell from that mouth. 

His eyes stung as his heart ached in his chest, his mind threatening to flash memories of when there had been a time they weren’t like this, hating and wishing they didn’t exist to each other. 

“I said it wasn’t like you cared much about me from the start anyway,” Merlin said, keeping his voice stable. 

Arthur didn’t say anything for a few seconds before he scoffed and started to walk away. He stopped once he had taken a step out of the small expanse of the kitchen. The next few words that fell from his mouth tore open the wounds in the brunet’s chest that he thought closed, leaving him bleeding with tears gathering in his eyes. 

“Who would care for such a troublesome and broken person like you?” Arthur spat out. 

Merlin grabbed the mug from the counter and tossed it at Arthur’s direction, yelling out a harsh, “I fucking hate you!”

He took in sharp breath as the mug sailed and hit the wall, shattering into pieces, missing Arthur by inches as he walked away. Merlin heard the sounds of the blond’s footsteps becoming quieter as he left his flat. His knees wobbled before he slid to the ground, tears slid from his eyes down his face. It wasn’t like he expected Arthur to disagree and make him believe otherwise. He knew the man never truly cared for him or about what they had. To him, they were just a convenient past time even though Merlin had placed a lot of love and hope on them. 

It left him feeling hopeless when everything crashed and burned and Arthur did nothing but watch, without a hint of remorse on his face when Merlin left. He wished their lives weren’t this intertwined. He didn’t want to see those blue eyes if he could help it but when their paths crossed again after so many years, he got sucked into the same dance with him. The only difference between then and now was that Merlin was older and wiser. He wouldn’t let Arthur lead him on again and if it meant it would lead to his death one day, then so be it. 

He rubbed his face, dragging himself up so he could stand, leaving everything a mess in the kitchen as he walked to his room. He slammed the door shut as he toed off his shoes and fell face first on his pillow. Merlin closed his eyes shut as he waited for the pain in his heart subside. 

“What did I even see in you?” Merlin whispered into his empty room. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.
> 
> A/N: Hahahaha, took me long enough to update this story xD I had no muse for a long time and recently got back into reading some Merthur fan fictions. And then, it hit me. >:) So, I continued this story! Hope you guys like it! Until next time~ Krystal

He didn’t get the sleep he wanted. Merlin’s muscles ached, the hot shower not doing much now that it had been seven hours since the last case. His breath left his mouth in a puff, the air in the bathroom too hot to breathe in properly after twenty minutes under the spray of water. Arthur’s words came tumbling into his mind, a groan escaping his mouth as his heart ached. 

Merlin shouldn’t have let those words get to him but he would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt. 

Because it did hurt. 

Arthur could lie without blinking his eyes if he wanted to and he had done so easily when they were together. He had only asked one thing from him and he was given a reality he wished wasn’t true. Merlin closed his eyes as the day everything broke threatened to rush into his mind. 

He wouldn’t let himself relive in that moment again.

Not when he had left it all behind, ripping himself away from Arthur forcibly even though he knew it would destroy him. 

“I’m stronger now.”

The words felt hollow as it echoed in his bathroom, like a mantra that would never work. 

 

***

 

Todd whistled when his eyes landed on Merlin. He leaned back into his chair, tilting his head back as he placed both of his hands behind his head. 

“You look like death warmed over you,” Todd said after a second. 

Merlin cracked a tired smile as he slumped in front of his partner, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. The coat on his body restricted a bit of his movement but he allowed the tightness to remain, acting like a grip to keep him on his feet. He huffed a breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds before he took in a deep breath, sitting straighter. 

He took off his coat, shrugging. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“I can see that,” Todd replied, sitting forward and hunching his back a bit to catch Merlin’s icy blue eyes. “You don’t look well, mate.”

“Eh, I’ll be fine.” Merlin stood up, tossing his coat at the back of his chair before he made way around the desk to head to the break room. “Do you want coffee?”

“That shitty break-room coffee? No thanks,” Todd tossed out as he stood up, following Merlin into the room anyway. “Speaking of shitty, you look like one too.”

The brunet huffed his breath. “I told you I’m fine.”

“Fine has many variables,” Todd pointed out. 

Merlin shrugged, not in the mood to really pour his feelings out to his partner. Todd didn’t know of his past and he wanted to keep it that way. There was a reason why he told no one about the one person he fell in love with and left him destroyed. He didn’t tell anyone that the reason why he had a hard time trusting people was because of— _him_. The brunet took in a deep breath, right hand reaching to the cabinet to pull a mug. There, nestled between the other staffs’ mug was his cup. It was a plain black one with the words ‘Forever’ in gold carved at its curved body. Truth to be told, he didn’t know why he still held onto it. 

His fingers grabbed on its handle, grip tighter than necessary. 

The mug entered his life without any warning on a Christmas Day a few years back, just when he had been promoted to Detective Sergeant. He found it covered in pretty wrapping paper, a note attached to the top as it was left on his doorstep. It was positioned in a way that only he could spot it, and Merlin knew immediately who it was from. He had half of a mind to let it sit there, to rot or break but a part of him that wanted it in his life won. It didn’t make sense why he wanted to hang onto it, as if it would solve this mess between them. 

But he brought it home. 

The note was just with his name on it, nothing too fancy, nothing poetic. Just his name written in the familiar scrawl he was accustomed to. 

He had kept the note too. 

And before he knew it, he brought the mug to work and there it was, found its home among the rest of the cups on the cabinet. Close to him, reminding him of Arthur. 

Merlin huffed a breath as he poured coffee into it, sipping the hot beverage as he turned to lean against the counter, looking at Todd who was crossing his arms against his chest and eyeing him, curiously. He looked away, avoiding eye contact. 

It was a few minutes of silence with Todd rolling his eyes and off he went, exiting the break room before the day really began. Merlin had placed his half-full mug of coffee on his desk when the Detective Inspector of their district, Lancelot, walked out of his office and headed to his and Todd’s desk. 

“Lancaster, Emrys,” Lancelot said as he waved a hand of case file. “Come to my office.”

He turned around and walked back into his office, the door wide open. Merlin tossed a confused look at Todd before they both stood up and rushed into the room. Merlin closed the door behind him once they were both inside. He joined Todd and stood beside him, watching Lancelot slamming a file on his table before he raked his fingers through his hair. His eyebrows were furrowed and a frown crossed his lips. 

“What is it, sir?” Todd said, raising his eyebrows. 

“We have so many cases open right now,” Lancelot said, sounding frustrated. “So you two will take this case. Congratulations, boys. Your first big case.”

Todd straightened at that, immediately snatching the file and flipped open, looking through everything. Merlin sucked his bottom lip before letting it go, tilting his head slightly. Excitement rushed into his veins at that as he touched the edges of the files, pulling it away from Todd’s fingers once he was sure his partner had gone through them. He glanced at the details of the case before his eyes landed on the pictures taken of the crime scene. 

Todd whistled under his breath, catching Merlin’s attention. “That’s a horrible murder.”

“Yes,” Lancelot said. “You two will be working on it.”

Todd grinned, looking like a child who was given permission to eat a jar full of candy. But Merlin agreed with him, nevertheless. This was the first time they were allowed to work together on something as serious asthis. They walked out of the office, the door closing shut behind them. Silence for a few seconds reigned between them before Todd slapped his arm.

“Holy shite,” he breathed under his breath. “We hit the jackpot!”

Merlin chuckled, his mood starting to brighten at this opportunity. “Come on,” he said to Todd, ushering them to their desk. “Let’s show them we’re good at what we do.”

 

***

 

The case looked simple from a glance. A murder case, the husband of a woman, no kids, found dead at the alleyway behind a pub. There were multiple stab wounds and an autopsy had given them that the man had also ingested some kind of drug to keep him disorientated. It was a planned murder, and there were already a suspect and two witnesses. 

It was standard procedure, Merlin noted as Todd and him took their coats and headed out to talk to the first witness. They were in the car, Todd talking loudly with one expressive hand in the air, animatedly coming up with possible scenes that made no connection the crime at hand. Merlin, however, was amused at how excited his friend was, opting to listen to the man’s crazy theories. 

“There is possibly no way, Todd,” Merlin started, cutting his partner rambling off his seventh nonsensical theory, “that the man had made a deal with a demon and got his soul stolen. You watch too many weird tele.”

Todd grinned, rolling his eyes. “You take the fun out of everything.”

Merlin shrugged, glancing out of the windows from his passenger seat. “Nothing too fun about the case of a murdered man. He’s dead, the least we could do is put him to rest by solving this case.”

Todd hummed under his breath, nodding once. “I suppose you’re right. It was a little insensitive of me to make fun of his death.”

Merlin glanced at the man and shook his head. “You think?”

His partner only shrugged, parking his car, a sign that they had arrived to their destination. Merlin got out of the vehicle, the door slamming shut behind him. They arrived at a street where there were many buildings and flats aligned on either side of the road. They crossed to the other side, Todd checking his phone and looked at the brunet. 

“This is supposed to be the place,” he said, waving his phone for emphasise. 

Merlin took the device from Todd’s hand and looked at the exact number where their first witness might be. 

334A. 

Merlin glanced away from the phone, handing it back to his friend, noting that the door they were standing in front of was indeed the same one they were looking for. Without hesitation, he rang the bell, waiting for someone to open it. It took a second but then he heard shuffling at the entrance and the door opening, revealing a young woman with a sullen look on her face. 

“Hi, I’m Sergeant Emrys and this is Sergeant Todd,”Merlin introduced them both to the her. 

When she continued to look wary, Merlin flashed her his badge, finally allowed a brief, nervous smile. “What can I help you both with, then?”

“We have some questions to ask with a tenant living here,” Todd said. “Miss Amber Frost?”

The woman’s face changed and she nodded, taking a step back to allow them both entry. “That’ll be me. Please, follow me.” 

Merlin eyed her for a second, before nodding. Todd stood next to him, following her into her flat. She walked into the kitchen, leaving them both at the small living room. 

“Would you both like a cuppa tea?” she asked, her voice echoing from the kitchen.

“No, thank you,” Merlin replied, Todd agreeing to him. 

Amber came out then with just one cup of tea in her hands, most likely for her. That suspicion was confirmed when she told them both to take a seat on her couch before settling in front of them on her armchair, sipping on her tea. 

“I’m assuming this about the murder I witnessed?” she asked, her voice quiet.

Her fingers shook and Merlin felt a little pity at how horrific it must had been to witness it. 

“Yes,” Todd said, reaching into his inner jacket to pull out a notebook. 

Merlin always relied on him to take the notes, knowing that his chicken scrawl would only make reading back at the descriptions and answers ten times harder. 

“We’ll start off with the basics,” Merlin said, catching her attention. “Could you tell us what time you went to the pub up until the murder?”

Amber placed the cup on her knee, nodding. 

“It was at eight in the evening,” she stated. “I was at the Angel’s Pub wanting to get some drinks with my girls. It was a night to celebrate, I just got promoted. By the time I was ready to go home, it was around eleven at night. I walked out of the pub, ready to grab a taxi when at the corner of my eyes, I spotted a man walking past by me, hurriedly entering the alleyway beside the building.” 

Merlin glanced at Todd, noting that the man was busy writing the events down. He looked back at Amber, nodding. “And then, what happened?”

“And then,” she continued, voice hitching in her throat for a second. “Well, at first, I thought nothing of it. But then I heard a crash at the alleyway and the street was quiet except for me. I was scared. But I heard a loud shout and then dead silence. I couldn’t walk away, you know? Not when I had this huge urge inside me to go check at what happened. So, I did.”

“And you found the man dead?” Todd said, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes,” Amber whispered. “It was a mess. The trashcans were pushed aside and he was lying there. Blood everywhere. I froze. I didn’t know what to do. Took me a solid two minutes before I screamed. A few people who had been on their way out of the pub heard me and came rushing to my side and then the police was called.”

“Did you see anyone else entering the alleyway besides the man?” Merlin asked.

“No,” Amber said, shaking her head. “I can’t recall anyone but the man. I did notice…perhaps, if this might help but I did notice the man looking anxious, glancing at his phone a few times as he rushed there.”

That made Merlin intrigued. It could possibly be a blackmail case gone wrong. 

“Is there anything else you noticed, anything at all, that you remember about that night?” Todd questioned. 

Amber shook her head, her eyes dropping to the cup on her knee. “I’m sorry but that’s all I remembered.”

Merlin pursed his lips for a second before nodding. He noticed that she was shaking a little, no doubt scared just from recalling such horrid memory. Merlin leant forward and placed a hand on her fingers, catching her eyes when she lifted her head. He smiled, hoping that the assurance would get to her. 

She seemed to relax a little, her wet eyes shining in gratefulness. 

“Well then, we’ll take our leave since we got everything we needed,” Todd said, closing the small notebook and shoved it back into his jacket. 

He stood up then, Merlin following suit before the woman did, placing her cuppa tea on the coffee table. “Thank you for your time,” Merlin said, nodding his head slightly. 

“If you do remember anything else,” Todd said. “Please don’t hesitate to call us.”

“Of course,” Amber said. 

With that interview done, Merlin and Todd walked out of the living room, jogging down the stairs to reach for the front door to get out of there. Todd hummed under his breath, crossing the road to get to their car. Merlin reached for the passenger door, getting inside before slamming it shut next to him. 

“That was a horrible night out for her,” Merlin spoke, touching the seatbelt before pulling it over his body until a distinct click echoed in the air to notify him that he was strapped in. 

“Indeed,” Todd said, a contemplative tone injected into his words. “What do you think?”

Merlin tilted his head to one side, humming as well. “If her memories can be relied on, it sounded like a blackmail case gone wrong.”

Todd didn’t say anything for a few seconds before he huffed his breath. “But, I don’t think that’s the case.”

Merlin raised his eyebrows, confused at what his partner meant. “Well, we can’t really cancel out any possibilities until we get some proper lead.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Todd said. “Call it a gut feeling but, maybe there’s something more into this than just a simple murder.”

Merlin didn’t deny that. Most of the times, a murder was just a murder but then there were once in a while where a case like this would lead to something more complicated. He didn’t know what exactly to make about this case but he wasn’t really willing to rule out any options until they had concrete proof. 

He needed to reread Todd’s notes on the interview and start building a case board.

 

***

 

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck as he walked down the street. They decided to interview the next witness tomorrow and for now, gather as much information they could from the people who had been to the crime scene first. They would also need to interview the bartenders who were there that night as well as the ones in charge with throwing the rubbish before closing. 

Maybe one of them would have taken a look at the man who murdered the victim, John Thompson. 

It was a little frustrating when they found out that the alleyway was hidden away from security cameras, the shadows covered the crime happening like an invisibility cloak. 

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, shivering a little from the cold. He hated how cold London got at this time of the night. He was about to take a turn to head down the familiar busy streets to get to his favourite take out place when his phone beeped, alerting him of a message. 

Merlin stopped walking, pulling out his phone from his pockets only to freeze, recognising the unknown number immediately. He contemplated not to reply or heed the message until he remembered last night. He didn’t want a repeat of that. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the prat again. 

He rubbed a hand down his face, looking at the message and frowned. 

_Room 314._ _BE THERE._

 

***

 

Merlin knew which hotel it was and where it was located. He had been there a few times when he had to meet with Arthur for some case information. It was a hard place to find, however, located a bit outside of the main city. He got out of the taxi, paying the cabby as he slammed the door shut, watching the car driving away. He looked at the tall building, expensive and intimidating. He hesitated for a second before he walked into the lobby, eyes darting to the receptionist who caught his gaze, smiling. Her eyes twinkled as she gestured him over. Merlin recognised her immediately, feeling his shoulders relaxing a little when he saw a face he was more willing to see than Arthur’s. 

“Gwen,” Merlin said. “How are you?”

“As good as I’ll ever be,” she said with a brief chuckle, placing the card key to the hotel room on the glass top, sliding it over to Merlin. “You didn’t show up yesterday, huh? Brave of you to do that.”

“Threw a tantrum, did he?” Merlin said, grabbing the key. 

Gwen rolled her eyes, a smile gracing her pretty face. “Stormed right out the elevator, barking into the phone to grab his car. He looked affronted.”

“Affronted,” Merlin said, testing the word out on his tongue before grinning. “I like it.”

“Of course you do,” Gwen said, teasing lit in her voice. “You two have always been like this.”

Merlin’s smile faltered into a grim one. He shrugged, his heart aching in his chest. Gwen eyed him for a second before she sighed, shaking her head. 

“I’ll get going,” Merlin said. “I’ll see you around, Gwen.”

Gwen nodded. “Until next time.”

He glanced at the woman with a darker skin tone, feeling a little assured that she had always been there whenever he needed to see a familiar face besides Arthur’s. She was one of the few rare ones within this organisation that he trusted with his life. Mainly because she had been his friend since he was dragged into this world, taking his side when everyone in the ring blamed him for Arthur and his ultimate end. He walked to the elevator, pressing on the up button. 

His fingers grazed the edge of the card, wondering why Arthur wanted to see him. 

Hadn’t they exchanged enough heated words yesterday?

He closed his eyes momentarily when Arthur’s angry, cold expression flashed into his mind. His chest tightened, making him unable to breathe properly. He waited until the doors of the elevator to slid open before he walked inside, eyeing the numbers before pressing onto the third floor. 

He didn’t love Arthur. Not anymore. 

He wouldn’t let that man hurt him like that ever again. 

There had been something so right about them before it all crashed and burned. But if Arthur had tried—if he had come after him, if he had explained and fought for him—for them—maybe Merlin wouldn’t be in such a bad place with his love life. With anyone, really. He was too scared to give his heart away, knowing full well Arthur still hadn’t relinquished a part of it back to him. 

He knew better than thinking Arthur had called him today to apologise.

The man never once uttered the words of apology to anyone, let alone to his own ex-lover who he had hurt. 

He scoffed, shaking his head at the incredulous thought. 

This was Arthur bloody Pendragon. 

And Merlin was just someone who Arthur fancied once upon a time before he was tossed away without a second to spare. 

He walked out of the elevator when the small ding echoed in the space he was in, indicating that he had arrived to his designated floor. He stared at the long hallway, feeling nervousness bubble at the pit of his stomach. He walked to the room number 314, pausing for a second as if he was waiting for Arthur to open the door. 

But he didn’t, so Merlin took in a deep breath and swiped the card on the space next to the handle, watching the light turn green. Then, he pushed down the handle and soon the door, walking inside the large room. He closed the door behind him, shoving the card key into his jacket pockets. 

His eyes landed on the very man he had to see today, sitting at the large living room area, on the luxury couch, looking at his phone with one hand and the other holding a wine glass filled with red wine. Arthur didn’t even look up from his phone, even when Merlin had stood next to him. 

Irritation spiked in his mind before he cleared his throat, only then catching Arthur’s attention. 

He refused to let himself admit that his breath caught when the blue eyes met his. He couldn’t hold his gaze though, instead, looked away, aiming to stare at the spot above Arthur’s shoulder. For a few seconds, no one said anything before Arthur sighed, loudly.

“You came after all,” Arthur said, his voice low. 

Merlin rolled his eyes, deciding to keep his mouth shut for now. He could feel Arthur’s eyes on him but he didn’t make a move to look back at him. 

“Do you want something to drink?” Arthur asked. 

“No,” Merlin replied, curt.

He heard Arthur huff a breath, mumbling something under his breath. Merlin clenched his jaw tight, snapping his eyes to look at the blond. Anger started coursing through his veins, replacing the nervousness when Arthur had a smirk on his face, the wine glass no longer between his fingers, instead neatly placed on the coffee table. 

“What am I doing here, Arthur?” Merlin asked, his voice cold. “I’m a busy man.”

“Yes, so am I,” Arthur said, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling for a moment. “But I didn’t call you here for leisure visit, _Mer_ lin.”

Merlin refused to flinch at how the man drawled his name, as if he had been nothing but a waste of time, someone he was forced to entertain. 

“Why am I here?” Merlin said. “You clearly don’t want me here.”

Arthur didn’t say anything as he lowered his head, showing off his strong jaw as his piercing blue eyes looked at him. Merlin felt his cheeks reddening under his gaze, his heart skipping a beat but he refused to let it show that this was affecting him. Instead, he shuffled his weight to one foot as he curled his fingers into fists in his jacket. 

The blond man moved then, as graceful as he could, standing up from the couch before he took a few steps towards Merlin. The brunet took a step back when he realised that they were too close to comfort. He saw the blue eyes flicked at the floor before it flitted to his eyes, amusement, cruel humour, curling in those orbs. His blood ran cold when Arthur raised a hand, his fingers grazing down his cheek. 

Merlin flinched, hard, as he took a step back from the mob boss. He held back a gasp when the hand grabbed his arm, tight. 

“Arthur,” Merlin growled. “Let me go.”

Arthur ignored him and instead pulled him close. Pain blossomed and spread down his right arm, his eyes squinting as he grit his teeth. He tried to struggle but Arthur had overpowered him. Another hand grabbed his chin and tilted his face slightly upwards so that their eyes could meet dead on. This time, his breath hitched. 

“What are you doing?” Merlin asked, his heart hammering against his chest. 

Arthur searched his face before the grip on his arm tightened a fraction more. “Drop the case.”

The words burned into his mind as his entire world came to a screeching halt. 

“W—What?” Merlin whispered, eyes wide. 

“Drop the case,” Arthur said, his voice hard and his cold eyes burning holes into his soul. “The murder case you and your… _partner_ ,” he said, spatting at the notion of Todd with disgust in his voice, “were assigned to. Drop it.”

Merlin stared at the man in front of him like he had lost his marbles. Then, burning anger took over his senses. He immediately pulled his face away from the grip and touched Arthur’s wrist that was holding him captive. 

“Let me go, you bastard!” Merlin yelled. “How dare you tell me how to do _my_ job!”

Arthur didn’t look the least amused with Merlin’s outburst. He didn’t even blink when Merlin tried to push him off. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. 

“You _never_ listen,” Arthur whispered under his breath, catching his breath. 

Merlin looked at him, before he furrowed his eyebrows. “Me? What about you? Who the hell do you think you are telling me how to do my job!”

“Drop the case,” Arthur repeated, his blue eyes flashing in irritation. “Or I swear to God, I will _make_ you drop it.”

Merlin’s blood ran cold at that, freezing. “You’re threatening me now?”

Arthur scoffed. “I wouldn’t have to if you would listen to me for _once_ in your goddamn life.”

The brunet opened and closed his mouth, no words escaping his lips even though he had too many things to say, to accuse. 

But he couldn’t drop this case. This was their first big case after a while. He didn’t want to let it go. 

“No,” Merlin said. “I will not drop this case.”

It was then Arthur grabbed on the collar of his jacket and yanked him close until their faces were close. Fear started seeping into his mind when he saw the determination in those blue eyes, followed by words that caused him to stutter into silence. 

“If you don’t want to end up _dead_ , _Merlin,_ ” Arthur hissed. “ _You will_ _drop this case_.”

 


End file.
